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Offender Databases Peneha Henare

Peneha Henare

Alias

"Ben"

Offences

Indecent assault of three Whangarei girls in 2007

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1948

Current Location

Was on home detention, current location unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 4 months home detention in October 2008

Background
Northern Advocate story here
From the Northern Advocate 16th October 2008
A Whangarei school bus driver who indecently assaulted three young girls while taking them home from school has been sentenced to four months' home detention. Last month Peneha Henare, 60, pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault on girls aged 11, 12 and 13.

Yesterday Henare appeared for sentencing before Judge John McDonald in the Whangarei District Court. Henare indecently assaulted two of the girls on the bus on August 28 last year, and during police inquiries it was discovered that he had indecently assaulted the other girl over a period of time. The third indecent assault charge was representative of his conduct.

Crown prosecutor Anna Patterson said Henare had almost "groomed" the girls and gave them lollies, money and pet names. Defence lawyer Arthur Fairley said the offending was opportunistic and Henare had overstepped the mark. Judge McDonald said the maximum penalty for indecent assault was seven years' jail but Henare's offending was at the lower end of the scale. The judge, who did not accept that Henare had groomed the girls, said he had taken a particular shine to them and on August 28 last year two of them went behind his driver's seat and removed his hat.

Henare reached behind and grabbed one of the girls. He then touched both inappropriately. Henare touched the third girl indecently on a number of occasions. Henare admitted some of the conduct to police but denied any sexual connotations. Judge McDonald said that, by his guilty pleas, Henare accepted there were such connotations.

The judge said the victim- impact statements of the three girls and their parents showed Henare's offending had produced long-lasting effects. Two of the girls were removed from the school they attended so that they did not have to travel by bus, while the parents felt they had let their children down.

"They consider that in some way they are bad parents. They are far from that," Judge McDonald said. Aggravating features of the offending included the breach of trust by Henare, while his guilty plea was a mitigating factor, the judge said.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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